Showing papers on "Theobromine published in 1985"

Methyl xanthines enhance taste: evidence for modulation of taste by adenosine receptor.

Abstract: The methyl xanthines (MX), theophylline, caffeine, and theobromine, are potent antagonists of adenosine receptors. Adaptation of the human tongue to methyl xanthines at concentrations ranging from 10 −5 M to 10 −2 M was found to potentiate taste. The artificial sweetener acesulfam-K, which has a bitter component, was potentiated the most by MX, i.e., approximately 100%. This increase in perceived intensity for acesulfam-K occurred at 10 −5 M MX, a concentration known to inhibit adenosine receptors but below that required to inhibit phosphodiesterase. Increasing the concentration of MX as high as 10 −2 M did not increase the degree of enhancement appreciably. Taste enhancement was found for NaCl and quinine hydrochloride as well. When 10 −5 M adenosine was added to the MX, the potentiation was reversed. The human results were confirmed by animal studies in which single unit extracellular recordings were made from the nucleus of the solitary tract. These results suggest that the inhibitory A 1 adenosine receptor plats an important local role in taste perception.

Comparison of theophylline and theobromine metabolism in man.

Abstract: The total plasma and partial metabolic and renal clearances of theobromine and theophylline were determined in 13 healthy volunteers. Total plasma clearance for theobromine was 46% greater than that for theophylline, but the unbound clearances were almost identical. Theobromine renal clearance was 67% greater than that for theophylline but most of the difference was due to the lower protein binding of theobromine (free fraction = 0.86 compared to 0.58 for theophylline). Clearance by N-demethylation at the 3-position was 3.7-fold higher (unbound clearance 2.5-fold higher) for theobromine than for theophylline, showing that the position of the other methyl substituent (positions 1 or 7) is a major determinant of metabolic rate. There was a high degree of correlation between theophylline and theobromine plasma clearances (r = 0.86) and also between partial metabolic clearances both within drugs and across drugs (r = 0.65-0.99). The renal clearances of theophylline and theobromine were also correlated (r = 0.71). The results support the view that theophylline and theobromine are metabolized by a common group of cytochromes P-450 under similar regulatory control. Theobromine is a good model compound for assessing the activity of these enzymes in man as it has low pharmacological activity and low protein binding, its total and partial metabolic clearances correlate closely with those of theophylline, and close to 100% of the dose can be recovered as known metabolites.

High levels of methylxanthines in chocolate do not alter theobromine disposition.

Abstract: Theobromine disposition was measured twice in 12 normal men, once after 14 days of abstention from all methylxanthines and once after 1 week of theobromine (6 mg/kg/day) in the form of dark chocolate. Mean theobromine t½, apparent volume of distribution, and clearance after abstinence from all methylxanthines were 10.0 hours, 0.76 L/kg, and 0.88 ml/min/kg. High daily doses of chocolate for 1 week did not change these values. After subjects abstained from methylxanthines, urinary radioactivity over 72 hours after a single, oral dose of [8-14C]theobromine consisted of 42% 7-methylxanthine, 20% 3-methylxanthine, 18% theobromine, 10% 7-methyluric acid, and 10% 6-amino-5[N methyl-formylamino]-1-methyluracil. A week of daily theobromine consumption in the form of dark chocolate also did not alter this urinary profile of theobromine and its metabolites. Although these results might appear to differ from other reports of inhibition of theobromine elimination after five consecutive daily doses of theobromine in aqueous suspensions, both the rate and extent of absorption of theobromine in chocolate were less then that of theobromine in solution. Relative bioavailability of theobromine in chocolate was 80% that of theobromine in solution. This reinforces the fundamental principle that both the metabolic and the therapeutic consequences of a particular chemical can differ when that chemical is given in the pure compared with the dietary form. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1985) 37, 415–424; doi:10.1038/clpt.1985.65

The bronchodilator effect and pharmacokinetics of theobromine in young patients with asthma

Abstract: The bronchodilator effect of a 10 mg/kg dose of theobromine (3,7-dimethylxanthine) was compared with that of 5 mg/kg of theophylline (1,3-dimethylxanthine) in young patients with asthma. Bronchodilation, as assessed by forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in the first second, forced expiratory flows at 25%, 50%, and 75% of vital capacity, and percent of forced expiratory volume in the first second/forced vital capacity did not differ significantly between the two drugs. After each drug bronchodilation peaked at 2 hours and lasted for 6 hours, although it was not always statistically significant for theobromine. The mean peak serum concentrations of both drugs, the time at which peak serum concentrations occurred, and elimination half-life values were similar for theobromine and theophylline.

Influence of cimetidine, sulfinpyrazone, and cigarette smoking on theobromine metabolism in man.

Abstract: Theobromine metabolism and clearance were investigated at steady-state under chronic oral dosing conditions in eight healthy volunteers, four of whom were cigarette smokers. The subjects were studied before and after separate 1 week pretreatments with cimetidine (1 g/day) and sulfinpyrazone (800 mg/day). Theobromine plasma clearance (ClTB) was 33% higher in smokers than in non-smokers due to induction of all metabolic pathways (3-demethylation, 7-demethylation, and formation of 6-amino-5-(N-methylformylamino)-1-methyluracil (AMMU]. 7-Demethylation was induced by cigarette smoking to a greater extent than the other pathways. Cimetidine pretreatment inhibited theobromine 3-demethylation and AMMU formation resulting in a 27% decrease in ClTB in the combined smoker/nonsmoker group. The 7-demethylation pathway was unaffected by cimetidine. In contrast, sulfinpyrazone pretreatment increased ClTB by 50% in the whole group by approximately equal induction of each metabolic pathway. The extent of induction due to sulfinpyrazone was 2.4-fold greater in nonsmokers than in smokers. When compared with previous data relating to theophylline, the results suggest that theobromine 3-demethylation is mediated by the same form(s) of cytochrome P-450 involved in theophylline demethylation, while a second form(s) of cytochrome P-450 is involved in theobromine 7-demethylation and theophylline 8-hydroxylation. In addition, since AMMU formation was inhibited by cimetidine and induced by cigarette smoking and sulfinpyrazone, it would appear that the conversion of theobromine to AMMU is also mediated by cytochrome P-450.

Conversion of Xanthosine into Caffeine in Tea Plants

Abstract: 14C-labelled methionine, xanthosine, and 7-methylxan-thosine were given to excised tea shoots. The methyl group of methionine was incorporated into 7-methylxanthosine (ca. 10%) in the earlier period of incubation after the uptake. About 50% of the radioactivity of xanthosine was rapidly incorporated into caffeine via 7-methylxanthosine, 7-methylxanthine, and theobromine within 24 hr. 7-Methylxanthosine was also converted into caffeine at a high rate. The results suggest that the pathway for caffeine biosynthesis is as follows: xanthosine → 7-methylxanthosine → 7-methylxanthine → theobromine → caffeine.

Simultaneous Determination of Theobromine, Theophylline and Caffeine in Foods by High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Abstract: A method for the simultaneous determination of theobromine, theophylline and caffeine in several kinds of foods is described.The chromatographic separation of the three compounds was achieved on FLC-ODS employing water-acetonitrile (150:10) as the mobile phase. The methylxanthines in tea and coffee were extracted with water and in turn the aqueous layer was extracted with chloroform. Clean-up of these compounds in cocoa and chocolate was efficiently attained by extracting them with water in the presence of carbon tetrachloride.The recovery rates of standard samples added to foods were 88-96%.

Pharmacokinetics of theobromine and its metabolites in rabbits

Abstract: The pharmacokinetics of theobromine (3, 7-DMX) and its metabolites was investigated in detail in four male rabbits after bolus intravenous injection (4 mg/kg) of the compound. Apparent first-order rate constants for the metabolic processes involved in the formation of 3,7-DMX metabolites and their excretion in urine were calculated. Theobromine, 7-methylxanthine (7-MX) and 3-methylxanthine (3-MX) were measured in blood and urine, and the other metabolites were determined only in urine. An appropriate model of 14 compartments is formulated to describe the disposition of 3,7-DMX and its metabolites.